Riddle
by Dolpher
Summary: It's just a riddle. Can you solve it? Just read the story and try to answer the final question. Dedicated to Cyber-chan for "Halloween Trouble"


**ATTENTION!**

**Originally it was multi-chapter story. But I can't - due to technical troubles - update my stories. Well, I have to turn it into one-shot dialogue.**

**That leads: to lack of many initial ideas and twists, to a lot of misprintings.**

**In other words: it is awful one-shot but it was really awesome story.**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR**

**Disclaimer. is anybody here who believes that I own ATLA? If yes - you are wrong.**

"I didn't mean it, Azula!" Zuko's voice sounded desperately.

But pain didn't leave his little sister' eyes:

"What? So tell me what you meant! You used lens and changed your eyes color. You used bandage and hid you scar. You made your hairs curly and changed their color. You've done everything possible for having nothing common with Zuko. You came in that asylum and pretended being just a patient. Just an ordinary psycho! Then you "accidently" met me. And introduce yourself as a Kinju. A Fire Nation soldier. Then you started to have a deal with me. Five month later Kinju became my friend. My only friend! My bff! BFF! And he is not real. He is part of your game! So now, I've lost my only friend, and I was tricked by you. And you say you didn't mean it? OK. WHAT DID YOU MEAN?"

Stupid freak! Zuko thought about himself. Five months everything was perfect. Today Azula told him about her seventh birthday - how happy she was that day. If only she didn't say about '_brother's gift was a blue ring_'! If only he didn't say about '_wrong, the ring was red_'! If only she didn't think about '_of course red, hey, how do_ _know_'!

If only...

So, nothing is perfect anymore.

"I... I didn't mean to hurt you. Azula, please, listen to me!"

"Why should I? Because you failed your prank and want to finish it with success?"

"It wasn't prank!"

"Yeah," tears appeared in the prodigy's eyes. "Just a joke for Halloween."

Oh. She is crying. He hurt her so much. Zuko bit his lip.

"Azula, I just wanted you to be happy. I... I was a coward. I was scared. I... I didn't want to risk. I thought if I just came to you and say '_hey, Az, let's forget about the past. Let's just care 'bout each other. Let's being friends_' - I thought you wouldn't give me a chance. But I knew you needed it in your life. If you wouldn't need it, how could Kinju become your best friend?"

Azula made a grimace and smirked bitterly.

"Do you know how I see it, Zuzu? Once again my friend is a traitor. Did you you want to make me happy? You didn't pass the test."

"It's not a test. And, no matter what, YOU WERE HAPPY! And you still can be. Kinju is not..."

"...real..." she interrupted him.

"...Traitor! And he IS real. He is a sort of part of me. The part which was so happy..."

"... Happy to make me a fool?"

"Make you my friend! Do you think our friendship had only one side? Do you think I was your bff, but you were not mine? Wrong! You were. Azula, all these months you were my bff. And not for Kinju. For me! YOU WERE! Do you think that didn't make me happy?"

"I think it did, Zuzu. You always had a fun while making me stupid."

"Will you stop thinking about my pretending, please? I beg you: think about how it was those five months. Weren't you happy? I was. I was happy to have you - my little sister! - as my friend. Fine. I apologise. Pardon me. Forgive me! I know I hurt you but..."

"SHUT UP!"

Azula laughed and there was no any peace of sane in her LOL.

"Zuzu, suppose - just suppose - I believe you. I believe, making me happy, you became happy. I belive, you really want me to forgive you. I believe, you was scared that I pushed you away and that was the only reason for Kinju, not Zuko, came to help me. Fine, I believe you. But what was the initial reason?"

"Well, the original idea belongs to Sokka. I had a conversation with him... and he told me that the most meaningful treasure for him was... er... when his sister smiled him. I am a brother, so I was able to get his point..."

"Oh, how sweet, you just wanted your sister back..." Azula was very sarcastic, "bad news for you, Zuzu. **YOU FAILED**."

"I know, but Kinju got you! You had nothing against him, Azula. So, please, let me get you back. Please, don't have anything against me!"

"What? How dare you? I have a lot against you!"

"... I need you. Please, Azula. I..." Zuko smirked bitterly, "my liver kills me."

Azula stared at her sibling. What a heck? Liver?

"Excuse me, Zuzu? I don't get your idea."

Fire Lord sighed:

"You see, Az... Life has its own plans. I thought, I stopped the war, I sent bad guys in prison, I helped the Avatar. That's why I am a good guy, And everything would be fine..."

"You have title, power, friends, beautiful wife, much money..." Azula interrupted him but Zuko interrupted her back.

"And I have not so much time. My liver... It's a cancer. Leukemia."

What... **It was like world stopped moving**. Azula looked at her brother and all she saw was truth. Her older brother, her Zuzu... She slapped him.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Idiot! What were you doing here? Whole five months! You should be in a hospital! With healers! Take pills! You wasted five months! IDIOT!" she slapped him again.

**"**_**Five months with you as my bff! I wasted not a month, day, hour or minute! Not a single moment!**_"

Azula whispered something.

"What?"

"Why me, Zuzu?" this time the nickname sounded absolutely different than usually. This time it was joined with hope, pity, care and... love. "If you thought that you shouldn't be in a hospital, that you should be with someone... It's not the Avatar. It's not that water-girl. Not mother (I know, you found her). Not Mai. It's me. Monster..."

"You are not a monster!"

Azula pretended as she didn't hear it.

"Friends, mother, wife. None of them. It was me. Why me, Zuko, why?"


End file.
